Adopted
by JPandS
Summary: A hanker is put in things when social workers deem Makoto unworthy of emancipation upon the death of her last living relative. Adopted by the strict Chang's, she faces troubles of all sorts. What will entail the brunette when her "brother" returns?
1. Original Story for your Comparisons

**Explanation:** **Alright so I originally discontinued this story due to lack of interest on my part but have decided to revise it since I keep getting bothered by a certain person to update it when I clearly stated that I was finished with this fic...Special is lucky I'm so nice lol. Anywho, I like to keep my first fics up so that people can look at them when they're bored and compare them to the newer not discontinued ones and see if I've improved or not. So this first chapter is my original posting of this story from YEARS ago and the next chapter is a slightly altered revision of this chapter. So if one was to skip this chapter all together, its completely fine because the next chapter is the premise of the revised direction! So...that's all for now, thanks for reading :)**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Makoto was sprinting and out of breath. She was once again going to get home passed her curfew and that meant she was going to get an earful from her new parents. They had already thought her to be an immodest mischievous troublemaker that had been lead from the "right path," and the fact that she was getting home late just gave more proof to their assumptions. Makoto had once tried to convince that she was a good kid, but they just wouldn't believe her. Whenever she tried to protest against their somewhat hurtful assumptions of her personality she just ended up losing her temper. One time she even went as far as getting in a fist fight with her adoptive father.

He had slapped her because she was quote on quote "being disrespectful by talking back to her elders", this action had been a mistake for Makoto's natural instinct was to fight back. She was furious and didn't realize what she was doing until he pulled out his gun and pointed it towards her. He was a general and well respected because of his killer aim. He had never missed a target in his life.

She was horrified with what she had did and was surprised that he didn't send her to jail or something for her violent actions. Instead he had just kept as far away from her as he could. She could tell that he wanted to beat her to a pulp for what she did but his wife held him back. His wife was the soul reason why Makoto had never been bruised or harmed in ways too painful for her to describe. Despite the fact that Makoto's "mother" hadn't liked her anymore than her husband did, she still appreciated having her near by as a "decoy." Her adoptive parents just didn't like her much and they never really showed any signs of them trying to like her. Nonetheless she still strived to listen to them so that she wouldn't have to get scolded, yelled at, or accidentally lose her temper again.

Lately though, she had been doing quite well when it came to abiding by the rules. All except one which, to her luck, happened to be the most important rule of all: her curfew.

Makoto could finally see her house and to her luck the lights inside the house were off. Quietly she turned the knob of the front door and slowly pushed the door open. With the same quietness she closed the door and began to creep through the darkness towards her room.

Makoto flinched as the silence was broken.

"Well, what do we have here?" said a cold voice from the kitchen. "A burglar! Shall I shoot you or call the cops?"

Makoto stood up straight and kept her eyes away from the man as she remained silent. Now days Makoto used silence as her defense.

"Well," continued the man with his same cold voice.

Once again Makoto remained silent and did not move a muscle. She heard him click off the safety on the gun before he spoke with a more demanding voice that was made to chill the dead.

"When I ask you a question you answer. Why are you getting back so late?" he managed to say through gritted teeth.

"I lost track of time," replied Makoto lamely while silently cursing herself for her lack of imagination. She never was good at lying.

The man in the kitchen was slowly losing his temper and Makoto could feel his tension towards her and instinctively clenched her fist as if to ready herself for a sudden attack from a nearby predator.

"Can I go to bed now?" asked Makoto finally breaking the silence.

The man growled and began to speak.

"If you think your gonna get off easy then you've-"

"Wei? Wei, did she come back?" came a soft voice from behind the man. It was a lady with dark black silky hair that ran to her mid back. Her eyes were a dark green and were red with sleep.

"Yes, she did," replied the man with his eyes boring into Makoto. Makoto turned to meet his gaze and matched the cold stare as if she was challenging him. Suddenly she realized what she was doing and quickly looked away from his dark black irises.

"Well then why are you keeping her up? If she doesn't get enough sleep then she'll have bags under her eyes and that won't be good if any of the neighbors see her that way. They'll think that we're using her as a slave," said the woman.

Wei looked back at his wife and hesitated. He was obviously ticked at what he was requested to do.

"Go to bed," said Wei harshly. He did not look Makoto in the face for he knew that his anger would've been rekindled so she nodded towards them and sprinted to her room.

She slammed her door shut and collapsed on her bed where there were letters and notes addressed to her. She opened the first letter from Usagi and read it.

Hi Mako-chan!

How are you? I'm doing great! It's strange not having you around. Lately it has only been me and Mina that have been actually talking and keeping in touch. Ami is always busy with her study and Rei is always inside the temple doing work. It's weird now. There's nothing to talk about. Ever since we stopped fighting-

Stopped fighting? Thought Makoto incredulously. Why have they stopped fighting? The negaverse isn't gone yet!

Different thoughts of confusion came crashing into Makoto's mind that it gave her a headache. Tonight was hectic and Makoto didn't appreciate it much. First it was the whole breaking of curfew and now this.

Usagi's letter lied motionless on the bed where Makoto had thrown it. She did not finish reading the letter because she was too confused to read it. Instead she just shoved all of her mail off the bed and did not read the note that was left by her adoptive mother.

The note was one of importance and Makoto overlooked it. She just went to bed with a flood of confusion in her head and hoped tomorrow wouldn't be too strenuous; but of course it would prove otherwise.

Makoto grudgingly made her way down the stairs to find that her adoptive parents were nowhere in sight.

"Thank goodness they're gone," mumbled Makoto to herself.

She went to the fridge and pulled out some eggs and bacon and began to cook her break fast. As she walked towards the bread box for toast she discovered that there was an unheard message on the answering machine. Instinctively she pushed the button and listened to the message.

Hi, this is Kara. I was just calling to see what time the welcome back party was. I would hate to miss it! I mean it has been so long since I've seen that little rascal. He must be handsome now! I'm so excited! My daughter can't wait to catch a glimpse of him. She's been going crazy this past week. You know I heard this rumor that you were going to house some of his friends too. If that's true and you don't have enough room in your house then I'll be happy to house some of them too. Besides I doubt that my little Brittany would mind a boy her age living with us. Anyways give me a call when you get this message and have a nice day. Bye!

"Wrong number," said Makoto as she pressed the delete button on the answering machine.

Groggily, she made her toast and ate her breakfast. It was 8:30 and she had nothing to do. Of course had she had any friends then she would've been phoning them, but her friends were far away and wouldn't be able to hang out. With a sigh she collapsed on a couch in the front room and fell asleep.

"Makoto, you're in grave danger."

"What?" said Makoto questioningly.

"You mustn't fight again or..."

"Or what?" said Makoto with a look of suspicion. Was this guy trying to get her to stop fighting so the negaverse could take over? Was he an enemy?

"It doesn't matter," said the voice. "What's important is that you not fight again."

"Not fight again?" said Makoto incredulously. "Are you trying to trick me?"

"No, Makoto. I'm trying to save you," said the voice. It was calmer now and held a sense of peace in it.

"Who are you?" asked Makoto. She was not ready to let her guard down and was certainly not going to be so trusting.

"She's a sneaky, evil witch!" cried a new voice that scratched the ears of anyone who heard him. He cackled at his remark and came into Makoto's view. He was a thick, tall and ugly creature. His face resembled a deformed alligator and long scars ran across his face. The lighting was so poor that Makoto's only thing that she saw clearly was his head.

"I'm sorry but your time is up now," said the horrid creature. Instead of looking at Makoto he seemed to be looking at something behind her. Before Makoto could turn to see who was there the monster leapt over Makoto and began to attack the supposed figure behind her. With his teeth he dug holes into the skin and Makoto could see the blood on the sharp edges of his teeth.

"Stop!" cried Makoto in desperation. She transformed and threw a ball of lightning towards him and it smashed full force into his face. A loud scream of agony filled the darkness and Makoto felt around in the darkness for the figure on the floor. Her hands soon came over a lump and she gently touched the figure.

"Are you okay?" asked Sailor Jupiter.

"No, Mako, don't. Don't transform anymore," said the figure. "Please don't fight." The voice was thin and weak with a hint of pain.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," snickered the monster that had previously been shot down by a thunder ball. With a smirk he pounced on Makoto and managed to scratch her collar bone. Makoto flinched at the sting of pain that rushed through her. She then summoned another attack and it surrounded Makoto's fist. With a hard punch she sent the monster flying.

Suddenly an arm viciously grabbed her shoulder and jerked her to the side. She looked to see the new comer, but there was no one there. Once again she felt the hand on her shoulder and suddenly woke up to come face to face with an unknown face.

"Are you okay? You look pale," said the shy timid girl. She wore thick rimmed glasses that magnified her big blue eyes. Her hair was black with blond highlights and went to her mid back. She had a pair of blue jeans on with a baggy white tee-shirt that she tucked in. She wasn't exactly an eye catcher.

"Y-yeah," stammered Makoto. "I'll be fine. Who are you?"

"I'm Lilly and I live across the street from you. You're mother sent me inside to get you. She wants to know if you did what she asked," said Lilly informatively.

"What did she ask me to do?" asked Makoto clearly confused at what her adoptive mother meant.

"I don't know," replied Lilly with a shrug. "She just told me to ask you."

"Oh great," muttered Makoto. "Where is she?"

"In the back yard," answered Lilly. "Mr. Chang looked really upset when he got back. He had to go for a drive to cool himself down."

"I bet it was because of me," mumbled Makoto to herself.

"What was that?" asked Lilly.

"Oh nothing, I was just talking to myself," responded Makoto.

"oh, okay."

Makoto moved slowly towards the screen door and was flustered with questions by her hasty mother.

"Did you do what I asked you to do?" she asked with wide eyes.

"You never told me to do anything," replied Makoto coolly.

"Yes I did. The note," said the mother as if it would strike a memory in Makoto's mind that she had indeed asked her to do something.

"What note?" asked Makoto. It seemed that lately everything seemed to be confusing her and she really didn't think it was very funny.

"Please tell me you're kidding," said the mother with pleading eyes. "I left a note on your bed last night."

Makoto then remembered the pile of mail lying on her bed and then she remembered when she shoved all of the papers off so that she could rest.

"I didn't read it," replied Makoto slowly.

"But you were supposed to call the caterer and ask them to make a cake! You were supposed to get the bakery over here so that they could cater our welcome home party!" Makoto's mother was becoming a nervous wreck as tears began to form.

"I-I'm sorry I didn't know," said Makoto apologetically but it was too late. Her mother had already started bursting into tears. The neighbor ladies that were currently occupying the back yard quickly came towards her and started to console her.

Makoto watched quietly as her adoptive mother was sobbing and murmuring in between every tear. She then observed the back yard and saw all of the decorations that had been put up. There was a small jumper being set up and the pool in the back yard had just received a new water slide. The walls were littered with pastry colored streamers and balloons were tied here and there. A feeling of guilt washed through her as she watched. Finally, when she couldn't take it anymore she turned to leave and left a message with Lilly.

"When she calms down tell her that I'll be back soon and not to worry," said Makoto.

Lilly was on the verge of protesting but Makoto had already left before she could say a word. Hurriedly Makoto got into her truck and started to drive to the grocery store. When she got there she practically grabbed everything in sight. As she reached the cash register she had to get help because she had two carts packed with groceries. Once she loaded her car she quickly drove to her school and was relieved to see her favorite teacher.

"Mrs. H," said Makoto.

"Makoto! What a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I was wondering if I could use the kitchen for a while because the one at my house is too small," she lied. "Do you think that'll be okay?"

"Why of course! I don't mind letting you in," she responded happily. "Matter of fact, I was going to do some work in there myself and it would be wonderful having company."

"Thanks," said Makoto. Swiftly she unloaded her truck and her and Mrs. H soon started to get cooking.

"What do you mean she's going to be back soon? Why didn't you stop her?" Wei's face was red with anger as he heard that Makoto had left on an important day. "She didn't even do what we asked her to!"

"Now, now, Wei," said his wife in an attempt to calm him. "Lets not lose our temper."

"She has been nothing but a problem! When she gets back I'll be sure to teach her a lesson that she'll never forget!" said Wei angrily.

"Wei!" said his wife in a shocked voice. "You can't mean that! You shouldn't even think it! To harm a girl! It's unbearable!"

"Thalia, she is a problem that needs to be solved," said Wei.

"Yes, I know," replied Thalia. "But from now on it will be me that is responsible for punishing her because I doubt that you'll be able to keep your patience with her."

"Thalia she might fight you! Remember what she did last time?" said Wei.

"Yes, I do," replied Thalia quietly. "But we don't need to worry about this now. We have guests waiting down stairs and our son is finally home. Today should be a happy one and I will not let Makoto ruin it. So lets go down stairs and forget about her for once."

Wei slowly nodded and the two made their way to the back yard where they had last left their guests. Fake smiles crossed their faces as they greeted all of their friends and neighbors.

"So, Wu-Man, is your boyfriend here?" asked Duo jokingly. Wu-Fei growled at his comment but did not cause a scene by chasing the braided baka as he usually did; and at this Duo was disappointed.

"Man, Wu-Man are you always this boring when your at home?" asked Duo.

"Duo, let it be," intervened Quatre. "We don't need you to get Wu- Fei mad in front of his parents."

"Oh alright," said Duo in defeat. With a sigh Duo put his arms on top of his head and winked at a girl that had been staring at him for a while. With a blush she turned away and began to giggle with her friends as they kept glancing at him and his friends.

"Stupid onnas," muttered Wu-Fei. "I'd die if I had to live with one."

"What would you do then if you had a little sister?" asked Duo curiously.

"I'd kill myself," replied Wu-Fei.

"Wu-Fei, your parents are back," said Trowa quietly.

At this knowledge, Wu-Fei turned to see his parents with their feigned smiles and began to wonder what was wrong. Suddenly there was a loud annoying voice that filled his ears and he averted his gaze on the stage to see a lady standing there.

"Hello everybody, I'm Mrs. Haruna from the local high school and I teach home economics. I have heard that there was a returning soldier here today and I would like to present a cake in his honor."

The back yard boomed with cheers of excitement and Thalia held an expression of confusion. Through a gate there came a humungous layered cake that was nicely decorated. Inscribed in the cake was a welcome back greeting and the audience stared in awe.

"Do you think I could get a cake like that for myself?" asked Duo as drool became to form at the edge of his mouth.

Normally Duo would get a smack in the head or some comment from his friends but they all just stared at the cake in awe. Finally the trance was broken as Mrs. Haruna began giving out slices of cake.

After a while someone else took the duty of cutting the cake and Mrs. Haruna was confronted by a confused Thalia.

"Hello Mrs. Chang. How are you today?" asked Mrs. Haruna politely.

"I'm fine, thank you," replied Thalia. "Umm, my husband and I were wondering-"

"What I was doing here?" finished Mrs. Haruna. "Well I just heard gossip about you having a son coming home so I brought over a cake," lied Mrs. Haruna. In reality it was Makoto that had made the marvelous cake, but Makoto made Mrs. Haruna promise that she wouldn't tell anyone about it.

"Well, I really appreciate it. I mean we hadn't been able to get a caterer because we forgot, so we told everyone that there wouldn't be any food of any sort," said Thalia. "But that cake is wonderful! It's so big! I had no idea that the high school had such a talented culinary arts teacher."

Mrs. Haruna laughed nervously and pretended to look shocked as she looked at her watch for the time.

"What's wrong?" asked Thalia.

"My husband is waiting for me at home and I completely forgot that he had a meeting so I have to get home so I can watch the baby. So I'll see you around Mrs. Chang." With that said Mrs. Haruna left.

It was 10:30 PM and Makoto was nowhere in sight. By this time the party was over and Wu-Fei, Duo, Quatre, Trowa, and Heero were all situated in their rooms. They all weren't tired so they decided to hang out in the living room.

At 11:00 PM Wu-Fei's father was pacing around the room in anger as Thalia sat worriedly in a chair watching her husband.

I hope he doesn't lose his temper thought Thalia as she sat there quietly.

Wu-Fei was disturbed at the fact that his father was pacing and did not know if he should ask him what was bothering him. The living room was filled with an awkward silence and only the rain outside disturbed the silence. Suddenly Wei couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Why isn't she back yet?" he yelled.

Thalia jumped at his outburst and the 5 boys remained motionless.

"Who?" asked Wu-Fei with an arched eyebrow.

"That no good girl's gonna-"

"Wei, calm down," interrupted Thalia. "Remember, I said that I would take care of her."

"She had the nerve to miss the homecoming of her brother and now she has the nerve to pass curfew!" he yelled in rage.

"Brother?" said Wu-Fei. "You mean, I have a..." he did not dare to say it. instead he let the sentence drift off and looked at his mother who nodded her head slowly to confirm his assumption.

"Wei, I can handle her," said Thalia quietly.

"Fine!" he retorted. "Do what you want with the girl! I'm going to bed!"

Wei made his way to his room and there was loud thumping that could be heard as he stomped up the stairs. Wu-Fei did not know what to think. Matter of fact he didn't even know what to do. How in the world had he gotten put in a situation like this?

"I'm going to bed," he said decidedly.

His mother shook her head and he left. Following this, Duo, Trowa, and Heero retreated to their rooms as well. Quatre on the other hand did not like to leave people alone so he stayed up with Thalia and tried to make a conversation.

Eventually the clock ticked past 1:00 AM to 1:30, then to 2:15 and Thalia fell asleep as did Quatre. At 4:00 AM Makoto walked into the house. She was soaked from head to toe and her eyes were distant and seemed to have no life in them. She stumbled across the floor to the stairs and clasped onto the railing to support herself. Her other hand covered her collarbone where there was a long gash that bleed nonstop. She struggled to reach the top of the stairs and froze when she heard a distant sound of typing that was coming from one of the rooms that were next to hers.

She could then hear murmuring coming from the same direction. She wiped the sweat off her face and began to become dizzy. She closed her eyes and tried hard to blink away the dizziness but it didn't help much. As quietly as she could she walked towards her room and placed her hand on the doorknob. She gently turned it and staggered into her room.

She made her way towards her dresser and looked at herself in the mirror. The cut on her collarbone was deep and the blood was seeping into her shirt. It was the cut that she had gotten in her dream and she hadn't realized it there until she left the school. She went somewhere quiet to think about her dream and couldn't remember it completely. So she gave up and started to head back.

She had intended on getting home sooner but was stopped by a gang. They hadn't really hurt her much but the fight that she had to put up made her fatigue. Then, when she wasn't looking, one of the guys hurt her in the shoulder with a club and the wound on her collarbone began to get worse. This action had caused her to get even angrier. For a moment as she fought she felt this strange feeling come through her. It was a scary feeling that she had never felt before, but nonetheless it felt good.

She no longer felt the pain in her shoulder and her blows all of a sudden became harder. Her reactions were quick and nothing got past her. Finally she finished off the thugs and she collapsed in pain. That strange feeling was no longer there. It was almost as if Makoto and another force were trying to become one, and their only way of meeting was through fighting. She longed to feel that surge again but was too weak.

On her dresser there was a first aid kit that had been given to her by Ami. Hastily she opened it and began to clean her wound. It hurt when she put the peroxide on it and was about to hiss in pain, but she bit her tongue. There were still clicking noises coming from the room next to hers and the shower from the bathroom across the hall had begun to roar.

When she bandaged up her wound, she went and found a change of clothes. In an instant she collapsed on her bed and let sleep overcome her.

Thalia awoke with a start from her nightmare. Makoto was in it again and she was being tortured in Thalia's nightmare. It was a recurring dream that always came when Makoto was passed her curfew. A tear rolled down her face as she shivered from an invisible chill. She jumped on her feet and ran up the stairs. She could feel wet spots on the floor as she ran up and saw a spot of wetness in front of the door that lead to Makoto's room. Cautiously she opened the door to see Makoto's figure lying on the bed asleep.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she moved towards Makoto's bed. What would you do if you knew the truth? What would Wei do if he knew the truth? Maybe I wouldn't have to pretend that you're a hassle. Would you understand or would you hate me? Thought Thalia as she ran her hand gently across Makoto's cheek. Funny how he would adopt you of all people. I was shocked to see you so grown up that I almost didn't want to recognize you. Thalia leaned over and gave Makoto a kiss on the cheek as she spotted the wet pile of clothes that were lying on the floor.

She went over and picked them and was oblivious of the blood stains on the shirt. She looked once again at Makoto and smiled softly as she was reminded of a young man that she had fell in love with long ago. Then quietly she exited the room.

_)(&_)*&_

Was that okay? Did you like it? Please tell me. I know it's kind of boring and stuff but I'll try to make it more interesting in the next chapters or maybe I can just revise this. Anyways please R&R.

P.S If something is confusing then tell me so I can try to make it clearer or I'll explain it. Thanks y'all.

Bye! =P


	2. Chapter 1

_**And this is the Revision.**_

The brunette cursed to herself as she again found herself racing back to her newly despised abode. The confines of the adoptive parent's four walls seemed to close in tighter and tighter around her as her freedoms she had grown so accustomed to were now demolished with strict parenting. She panted. Her old aunt had passed away and the horde of social workers that turned their unfortunate eye to her insisted that she was unfit to be emancipated at the young age of seventeen. It was true that she and her aunt failed to get legal permission for her choice of living on her own but to think that they would deem her unworthy of being charged as an adult was unbearable. Did they not realize that she had lived successfully on her own for the past two years? She shook her head in annoyance. The thought that they would overlook all of her obvious qualifications for emancipation was aggravating. Sometimes, the representatives of the legal system did a poor job of acting logically. Though the green-eyed brunette herself wasn't the brightest person to grace the planet, she knew for a fact that her judgment far surmounted that of the social workers that put her in this situation.

She stopped. To her luck, the lights of the household were off eliciting a sigh of relief from her cold-brushed lips. She hastily slowed her breathing and gulped before entering as quietly as she possibly could. The newly installed parental system required her to be home at a certain time. At first she willingly accepted this but to her dismay, matters tended to force her into disobedience of the curfew law. She didn't mean to be late so many times. It was just…difficult. Youkai didn't work on a strict time frame. They were sporadic and hardly left her time to deal with all of the sudden changes in her life. It seemed like just minutes ago she was surrounded by her fellow senshi, the shared duty falling into natural habit. But now, now she was in a town far from Juuban with a family that kept tabs on her in every waking moment. She now wondered how the others were able to do it. They had families didn't they? Didn't their parents ever catch them when they returned home late without explanation? Didn't they ever notice the bruises that marred their offspring's heavy burdened bodies in various places?

She froze. The sound of the switch sliced heavily into her heart, the action immobilizing her completely. _Not again!_ The girl flinched as the looming light illuminated the stoic figurehead of the house. His life companion stood nervously behind him, her hands fidgeting with a gold locket strung around her dainty neck. The man stood silently, his anger pervading the stale motionless room.

"Makoto." It was intimidating. In all her life, she never felt this much anxiety for anything. The shocking revelation that she could harbor such fear for someone that she had hardly known was hard to comprehend. She had battled creatures with lion heads, demons with snakes for hair, ice princesses with regenerating limbs and even died multiple times throughout her life so was there anything else in the world to fear? It appeared there was.

"I'm sorry," Makoto cast her eyes to the ground in apprehension. Her heart ricocheted in her chest as the piercing silence tormented her mental psyche. Though she knew she was late with good reason, it was obvious her "parents" were convinced she was a delinquent.

"Where were you?" The woman spoke, her arms crossed firmly across her chest. "We were worried sick about you!"

The guilt that plagued the brunette in question ridiculed her. Though she had spent her time defending the welfare of mankind from the ever-growing threat of the Youkai, her body still wracked with blame for not abiding by the rules placed before her.

"I was at a friend's house and lost track of time." Her brow scrunched in putrid distaste. The lie was the worse by far that she could come up with. She was certain they had already detected that being as she had no friends here.

"A friend's house." His voice made her ache, the acid dripping from every syllable sending her deeper into retreat. He was livid. He was always livid. Whether it be due to the fact that she often missed curfew or didn't seem to give the right answers, he was livid.

"Is it a boy?" The woman questioned, her forest green eyes red with agitation. "Are you sleeping with him?"

Makoto's head shot up in dispute. "No!" She retorted. Her heart aching that she would be accused of such a thing. As boy crazed as she was, she was still adamant in keeping her morals in check and sleeping with boys in grade school took no place in her resolve.

"Then what is it?"

Again Makoto cast her eyes to the ground, her feet shifting uncomfortably. How did the others do it? She was sure they would whine the next day about getting caught one night if they had, but they never did. As far as she knew, each of them had at least one person at home waiting for them. How in the world could they have spent all of those late nights out without being noticed? She shuddered. No answer sufficient enough to quench the inquiring minds before her could be formulated.

The woman sighed, her hands massaging her temples in defeat. What did this girl do late at night? She had to know! Even if it ended up being that she did in fact chase after lustful activities, she didn't care just as long as she could finally get an answer. UGH! This was her fault. It was her fault for wanting a daughter, it was her fault she had the strong urge to choose this particular one. She shook her head. Wei could not handle his temper around her. He could hardly even manage to spew out a couple words without bursting into full out rage. She looked to her husband, his body rigidly awaiting a response. The woman sighed knowing full well that Makoto would not speak a word.

"Wei," she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go to bed."

Her husband exhaled dangerously, the sound resembling that of steam escaping from a covered pot of boiling water. "Fine."

Wei cautioned a glance towards the girl and caught a glimpse of her sorrow-filled eyes. Those big green eyes, he imagined must have done her wonders as a child. What person could deny a young girl with those sparkling gems? His heart rate eased at the thought. He knew she meant well. Her actions always discounted her intentions but somehow he had a feeling that there was something greater going on behind the scenes that she didn't want to share. Actually, he **knew** that was the case. He supposed that perhaps she drove him to madness because it reminded him so much of how it was with his son. All he ever wanted was an answer but he was not trusted enough to receive it. This fact alone pained him to resentment.

"Goodnight Makoto."

Makoto looked up to the both of them, her distressed features going unnoticed as both characters looked in different directions. She mumbled a goodnight and retreated to her room. She collapsed heavy heartedly onto her bed, her soul wringing in depression. Her lifelong desire since the death of her parents was to have a family of her own. How ironic it was to finally have one and it not be as rewarding as she had always hoped. She sighed. A slew of letters were placed neatly on her pillow and she reached for the sugar pink envelope with a bunny on it knowing exactly from whom it came.

_Hi Mako-chan!_

It read.

_How are you? I hope there're more hotties over there than over here! Wink wink! Wow, where do I begin? It's been strange not having you around. Lately, only me and Minako-chan have been hanging out together. Ami is always studying and Rei is busy at the temple. Ever since we stopped fighting-_

Makoto hesitated. Stopped fighting? She questioned. Why did they stop fighting? The negaverse wasn't gone yet. Her head hurt now, the new changes and sudden discovery of her friends inactive state sent her straight into an enigmatic abyss. She dropped the letter onto the ground and forced her head into the soft pillow and swept away all other untouched mail. Hopefully tomorrow would be better for her.

_"Don't fight."_

_"What?" Makoto questioned. She spun around in search for the speaker but could find no one. The pitch-black scene around her brought chills to her spine, small goose bumps plaguing the skin of her arms._

_"You can't keep fighting Mako-chan or…" The voice trailed off._

_"Or what?" Makoto was anxious. She was confused to say the least. Was this dream just a weird mental reaction to the letter she had received from Usagi-chan? Or was it a dream that actually had valid points of caution?_

_"It doesn't matter," said the voice. "What's important is that you not fight again."_

_"Not fight again?" said Makoto incredulously. "The enemy is still out there!" _

_"Makoto, please. I'm trying to save you," said the voice. It was a woman's voice. Which woman? She wondered but could not place it to anyone she knew. _

_"Who are you?" Makoto asked. Though her mind warned her not to trust strangers that would tell her to cease from fighting when the enemy was still at large, she couldn't help but think that by knowing the identity of this person that she could better gauge their credibility._

_"She's a sneaky, evil witch!" cried a new voice that scratched the ears of anyone who heard him. He cackled at his remark, his body rifting into sight. He was a thick, tall and ugly creature. His face resembled a deformed alligator and long scars ran across his face. The lighting was so poor that Makoto could only make out its head. _

_"I'm sorry but your time is up now," said the horrid creature. Instead of looking at Makoto he seemed to be looking at something behind her. Before Makoto could turn to see who was there the monster leapt over her and began to attack the supposed figure behind her. With his teeth he dug holes into the skin and she could see the crimson droplets sliding from the curve of his mouth. _

_"Stop!" cried Makoto in desperation. She transformed and threw a ball of lightning towards him and it smashed full force into his face. A loud scream of agony filled the darkness and Makoto felt hastily around for the unseen victim. Her hands found a heap on the floor, the body trembling and soaked in what she assumed was blood. _

_"Are you okay?" She asked. _

_"No, Mako, don't. Don't transform anymore," She heard the woman say. "Please don't fight." The stranger's voice was wavering and on the brink of unconsciousness. _

_"I hope I'm not interrupting," snickered the monster that had previously been shot down by a thunder ball. With a smirk he pounced on Makoto and managed to scratch her collarbone. Makoto flinched at the sting of pain that rushed through her. She then summoned another attack and it surrounded Makoto's fist. With a hard punch she sent the monster flying. Suddenly an arm wrapped around her shoulders, a sopping figure touching her back. She flinched as a blinding white light engulfed her, sending her body into fits of pain as if piece by piece her body was being torn apart and then put carelessly back together._

_ "Please Mako-chan, don't fight."_

Makoto shot up from her bed drenched in sweat. Her chest heaved up and down as she sat fraught by the realistic strain of her puzzling nightmare. She sat her head in the slender palms of her hands in an attempt to sooth her distraught mind. What did it all mean? She couldn't seem to figure it out. Her eyes lingered to the digital numbers displayed on the black box atop her dresser. It was only five in the morning. With great effort, she threw her legs over the side of her bed and pushed herself up despite her blatantly painful protests of her body.

She observed her reflection in scrutiny, her auburn tendrils plastering themselves to her glossed skin. She looked perplexed at the red gash across her collarbone, a slender finger immediately tracing its line. She winced as a stabbing pain coursed through her shoulder, the agitation annoying her already tense frame. She shuffled to the bathroom in search of the small first-aid kit gifted from Ami and dressed her wound to the best of her ability. She hissed as the alcohol stung unceremoniously at the cut and quickly wiped it down before wrapping it in bandages. Her life…she mused. Was so easy before…the sudden disruption of her natural lifestyle frustrated her. She would be eighteen in a few months so would it really have been a stretch for the law to leave her be since she was coming of age soon? She groaned. She was tired of thinking about it. She was tired of always feeling conflicted.

Makoto was in her room now. She rummaged through her drawers and changed into a pair of worn down blue jeans and a green hoody sewn with black drawstrings and a black pocket stretched over the abdomen. She needed some air, air that didn't involve an encounter of the second kind. She tiptoed down the steps doing her best not to stir the Changs into revival. With a sigh of relief, she left the house.

"Wei calm down," Mrs. Chang coaxed. "I'm sure she'll turn up eventually."

"That's not the problem," he seethed. "She always turns up Lin but never when she's supposed to. That girl's a nuisance! I swear I'm gonna send her back-"

"Wei," Lin shot. "Don't speak like that! We can't just adopt her and then send her back because we don't like her."

"And why not?" The thought wasn't unfathomable…people did it all the time!

"Because it would be unfair to her." He heard his wife say. He couldn't understand why it was she defended Makoto when she herself was burdened by the constant stress the girl caused to them. Wasn't it unfair of her to act like she did when they had willingly opened up their homes for her? Didn't they deserve to at least have her present now when their son, her new brother, was finally returning after a long leave of absence? He shook his head in disdain.

"Wei," his wife's voice cut through his thoughts. "For now, let's not worry about her. There are people downstairs waiting for us and our son has finally made it back home. Let's try and make this a happy day as it should be." Wei nodded hesitantly and followed after Lin to the backyard.

"Wow Wu-man, never would have thought you still had a family to return home to. Goodness knows you don't act like you have anyone that cares about your wellbeing." Droned a tall American boy with plaited chestnut hair that reached to his mid-back.

"Shut up, Maxwell," the Chinese boy growled. He watched as his parents made their way into the crowd of neighbors and friends with their feigned smiles happily greeting each of them. Sure, his actions up to this point didn't at all trigger the thought that he had something to return to. He was often careless about the injuries he acquired through missions that no ordinary soldier should have ever survived and the fact that he often misused his body for stunts meant to paralyze men solidified to those around him the idea that he was in deed alone in this Earth. He grimaced, the annoying cackling of a group of girls disturbing his train of thought. The braided baka had been eyeing them since he first got there, constantly throwing them winks and sheepish grins.

"Stupid onnas," Wufei muttered. "I'd die if I ever had to live with one."

Duo scoffed. "Good thing your mom can't have babies anymore or else you might've ended up with a little sister," he laughed, his hands hanging leisurely behind his head. "You probably made sure your mom couldn't conceive on purpose when you were born."

As sadistic as it sounded, Wufei nodded in contemplation. He wouldn't doubt that he had done this but of course at that young of an age he didn't really have a grudge against women. So it was unlikely. It was only with years past did he obtain a palpable distaste for them all with the exception of his mother, of course.

"Son." His father's voice hadn't changed an ounce. It was still the riveting baritone that he had remembered.

"Father." Wufei's formal exchange of recognition iced over the observant pilots. Even in the presence of his own parents he remained reclusive. A handshake was the only contact made between the two, his mother itching to get in closer to him. She broke through their unintended stare down and embraced her long lost son.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this day," she nearly sobbed. She took a step back to view his long unseen features and smiled proudly. "You're even more handsome than I remembered." Her attention soon wafted towards the four boys surrounding him and nodded.

"You're the friends that will be staying with us, I assume?" The four of them each nodded, the only blonde taking initiative and introducing himself.

"I'm Quatre Raberba Winner, it's a pleasure to finally meet you Mrs. Chang." He bowed politely. After which, the other three followed suit.

"Duo Maxwell ma'am, I can see now where Wufei gets his good genes from," he winked as Wufei rolled his eyes. His mother was flattered. He could plainly see, as a patch of pink grew brighter on her cheeks.

"Heero Yuy," the Prussian blue-eyed pilot stated simply, a nod the only gesture he could muster.

"Trowa Barton," bowed the tallest of the group, his dashing hair catching the inquisitive glance of Wufei's mother. Was there something wrong with his eye that was covered? She wondered silently.

Lin smiled at each of them, the mystery surrounding them overwhelmingly enticing. Lin was many things, but a fool she was not. She could see it in their eyes that there was some underlying bond shared between them that most wouldn't be able to understand. She was uncertain even if they had noticed it themselves. After all, Wufei was never one to attach himself to others especially not after that day…she ignored the thought. Perhaps now, he would be different since he obviously had friends to share his perspective, which she never thought possible.

"Its nice to meet you all." She said, her tear-filled eyes still marveling at the fact that her son had returned. "I hope you'll all enjoy yourselves."

Wei looked over each of them. They were…different. It was the only way to describe them. Though they were mingling amongst normal people in their backyard, he could see clearly that they did not belong. The aura protruding from the lot of them was war-ridden. Had he not been a soldier himself, he probably would have never been able to identify it. Five years of no contact with Wufei and he now knew why. His son was a soldier and he was sure he wasn't just any soldier but one that was feared. And these boys…these boys were most likely a select few that could match his skill. He was sad. If Lin ever pieced together that her son was no longer the innocent young boy he had left as, then she would be devastated. She herself was a pacifist, and war was never a topic she wanted to consider. He nodded towards them and sauntered off along with Lin to the rest of the party. What torment had his son seen? It pained him to think about it. His son should have never been this way and he was to blame for it all. If only he could make Wufei believe that he could fight to keep the world sane, then maybe his son wouldn't have felt the need to embark on the path he had taken. He sighed. At least he was home again.

10PM

11PM

Midnight.

"Where is she?" The aged version of Wufei could no longer contain his discontent as he paced dangerously across the living room.

"She?" Wufei found himself murmuring. The attention of the four situated pilots was immediately called at the mention.

"Wei," Lin tried to calm him as usual. "You know this happens all the time, you shouldn't let it get you worked up like this."

"That's besides the point," Wei managed to say through grit teeth. This girl! He cried to himself. She was unbelievable! "I swear Lin, I'll send her back as soon as she gets here!"

Lin sighed, her eyes closed as her hand carried her aching head. "We have to try and help her Wei. Try and get her to trust us."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, maybe if she trusts us, she'll want to be home on time or even to tell us where it is she goes all day." She tried to reason. "We can't just return her."

"Oh yes we can!" Wei insisted. The boys seemed to go unnoticed by them, a cloud of awkward silence hovering above the room. Lin looked fatigued.

"Just give her another chance."

Wei stopped pacing when he heard this. Another chance? To do what? Disappoint them again? He scowled. Lin's unpredictable empathy sometimes bothered him. At times she was willing to let Makoto go and then she would jump back to defending her. So what if they had always wanted a daughter! Somehow he didn't think adopting a seventeen year old girl already set in her ways was the wisest plan of action for them. Why didn't they look for someone they could actually **raise** themselves? Oh right, because they both longed for a child to fill the void that Wufei had left so they searched for orphans around his age. How idiotic!

"I'm going to bed." Wei decided. He marched out of the living room leaving estranged bystanders.

"Mom," Wufei finally spoke up. Lin looked to him already expecting he would want an answer.

"Congratulations," she started. "You have a sister."

Duo nearly broke out in fits of laughter but was stopped when he felt something tug unceremoniously on his braid. He looked scornfully into the eyes of Sandrock's pilot and huffed. Wufei's heart skipped a beat. Did she just say what he thought she said? It couldn't be true. The room across from his upstairs had stirred an inkling of suspicion as he noticed things in there hinting someone had inhabited it but he never thought it would be this detrimental.

"Since when?"

Lin threw her hands up in the air. "For about three months now." She stated. "We thought we would open up our home to her because she was so unfortunate. We were told by her social worker that her only guardian had died recently and she was alone so we took her in thinking it would somehow save her." Lin's eyes were red and distraught. "So far, it hasn't been the greatest experience as you could probably guess."

Wufei, still not convinced that this could be happening, shook his head in disappointment. He imagined this had something to do with him somehow. Had he not been gone without contact then perhaps the Gods wouldn't have punished him in such a way. A sister! Better yet, a woman! A weak, feeble woman lived in the same premise as he and was now a Chang at that! It appeared nothing ever went in his favor.

"Wufei." He heard his mother speak. He looked to her taking notice of her concern.

"I'll see you in the morning," he said. He couldn't handle this right now and he most certainly did not want to discuss it with his mother. She looked forlorn as he too left the living room even more discomfort enveloping the room. Each brunette present quietly mumbled their goodnight before departing to their own rooms with only Quatre and Lin remaining.

The clock ticked by later and later until Quatre and Lin had finally gave up their wait for the newest member of the Chang family. Shortly after, Makoto stumbled in soaked with midnight showers. Her faltering vision humorously deceived her perception causing her steps to be misguided as she nearly crashed into the hallway walls numerous times. She clasped desperately to the stair railing for support as she dragged herself painfully up the steps. The sound of murmuring in a nearby room caused her to freeze, her breath temporarily stalled in anticipation. After a moment of waiting, she forced herself to move as quietly as possible. She didn't know how she managed but by some odd miracle she found herself staggering hazily into her bedroom. She collapsed onto the floor beside her bed, the weight of her body becoming unbearable.

How lucky she was that neither Mr. nor Mrs. Chang had been perturbed enough to wait on her again. If they had intercepted her, she predicted that they probably wouldn't let her pass without an explanation. Her green sweatshirt bore a crimson stain across the shoulder, her bandages no longer capable of suppressing the blood. There was another attack. The dream she had, however vivid it was, wasn't enough to keep her from performing her duties. Had it not been for the disturbing malfunction of her abilities, she would have been home sooner but because she couldn't fight properly, the battle was extended by hours. The youma chased her down excitedly so running from it was no option as she grew fatigue with every movement. Her lightening was dismal when she called it; the small sparks hardly exceeding the power of static electricity. She glowered as she yanked off her sodden garments and gulped as she shakily pulled herself to her dressers. She pulled out the first set of clothes she could reach and gingerly placed them in their intended positions. Her body sunk into the soft mattress, her auburn tresses spewed in disarray. Her eyelids grew heavy as warmth slowly engulfed her whole being.

All day she was gone. In the morning she would be surprised if the Changs didn't wake up and decide to send her back to the orphanage. What did she do all day? Oh, that's right. She was trying to decipher the nightmare. Sleep. It was comforting this time. There were no voices parading around to give messages of prudence, which Makoto was grateful for.

"Goodnight," she mumbled to herself.

Lin awoke with a start, her body mindlessly moving towards Makoto's room. She opened the door slowly to see the tall brunette sprawled across her mattress. She sighed in relief. Though the green-eyed child had elicited so many stressful nights, Lin couldn't help but feel a bit attached to her. Whether it is because the girl was alone and Lin wanted to make her feel wanted or because her past was heart wrenching and familiar, she was unsure. All she knew is that she didn't want to let go just yet.

She walked in carefully and picked up the drenched clothes on the floor and seated herself at the edge of the brunette's bed. When she looked at her, she couldn't help but feel like she was staring at Wufei. There was something inside her just like there was, well **is** something inside Wufei that most people felt intimidated by. As the mother already of a boy that often felt displaced and alienated by his peers, she understood that Makoto had most likely shared those same traits. Which made her wonder if like Wufei, she was loving, kind and too warm-hearted for her own good. She scoffed. Through Wufei's tough exterior, inside was a boy that wanted desperately to be able to release his true feelings. He was a kid filled with happiness and dreams but for some reason his trust in the world around him seemed to evade him and Lin knew why. It saddened her to see him so closed off. He was afraid; she could see it. He didn't want to let people see who he really was because maybe then they'd be able to hurt him the way he was hurt before he disappeared. She exhaled. Her hand discretely brushed away the stray strands mingling uncomfortably across Makoto's cheek, a small tinge tickling the corner of her lips.

Yeah, this girl was a sweetheart. Through her daunting height and her incredibly menacing aura, Lin could see a heart that just wanted to exude the world with its kindness. A thoughtful frown marred her features as she pondered the events that Makoto must have faced that would make her so hesitant to express herself. With a last look, Lin pushed herself from the bed and left the room. Hopefully, Wei would be able to overcome his irate nature for both Makoto and even Wufei. Hopefully…

**Hmm, so I've revised this for my seeester…she's a pain lol jk Pressure :P. But I suppose I'm planning to add more to this. I've altered the plot a little because I disliked the idea that originally spurred this fic into existence. So yeah, that's that hopefully it wasn't too bad. I nearly keeled over and died because I HATE HATE HATED rereading this and then rewriting it lol. Review if you like! And thanks for reading =)**

**JPandS**

**Disclaimer**: **I don't own SM or GW.**


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